Black Badger - Chapter 317



Only Noblemtl

317. D-Day (1)

The best thing is that Kyle is really willing to negotiate.

And I thought that was the right decision for Kyle to make as a leader.

Of course, my compatriots outside the core will find my words insulting. They will consider me the worst leader, a man without honor or pride.

But I didn’t give up a single ray of hope.

As I was organizing the words I would exchange with You and the leadership on the day of the negotiations, I was holding onto hope. It seemed like there were a lot of them now. They must have had children, and there must have been many who had forgotten the empire.

I thought it would be good if Kyle surrendered, if only for their sake.

I kept having that dream.

A dream where Kyle finally changes his mind.

A happy dream that makes me tremble with frustration every time I wake up. I had that dream every single day and planned out my operation. There were conflicts between the Badgers and my own people, but given the circumstances, the conflict did not last long.

In fact, after Roh briefly summarized the situation, no discord arose at all.

The curly-haired senior spoke with a puzzled expression, picking at his ears.

‘So what? Hyunde betrayed the enemy and came back?’

‘It’s not Hyeon-de, it’s Hildera.’

‘We have to treat the guy who transferred well!’

Roga bang! He hit the desk and it dented.

‘It takes courage to transfer to a rival team!’

I’m not sure what the metaphor is, but anyway, there hasn’t been a dangerous situation since that day.

The plan is being finalized and the agreement is being finalized.

Time passed quickly.

***

On the day of the negotiations, the sky was so bright that it hurt my eyes.

I saw Kairos and Ami off under the clear sky.

Abandoned ghost.

“Let’s stop thinking about us now.”

Ami said this to me, who couldn’t help but show an expression on her face.

“Just focus on what’s in front of you. Nothing will change if we worry about it.”

“Yes. Don’t wake up the spirit right away. There’s a chance I won’t be kidnapped.”

“huh.”

Ami muttered with a little sadness in her voice.

“I wish that were true.”

Seriously.

After saying that, Ami disappeared, leaving Kairos behind, saying she had to say goodbye to the others.

The minister looks at me with orange eyes.

Milk poked its head out from his chest pocket. The servant smiled softly as he stroked Milk’s fluffy white crown.

“You must come back.”

Kairos took my hand that was stroking Milk and spoke firmly.

[My captain.]

For a moment I was worried that he would kiss my hand.

But fortunately, the subordinate was holding on to his senses. He laughed and said, “It’s too bad I can’t kneel or kiss your hand.” He said it would be unpleasant for the seniors around him to see him.

That’s what you’re talking about now.

The man burst into laughter as he made a dumbfounded expression.

“Take care.”

After letting go of my hand, he spoke heavily.

“Actually, it makes sense for me to be worried about you.”

“We are in dire need of good luck. Kairos. Best of luck.”

The subordinate nodded.

Then he added a phrase that had not been used for a long time.

[May the protection of the World Tree be with you.]

That’s what Igor and Rose, who set off first, said to me.

The World Tree no longer exists, you see.

The man who said a longing greeting like the other subordinates turned his body and walked towards the fighter plane. The wind created by the propeller blew the red hair here and there. I looked at the minister and Milk jumping on the minister’s shoulder.

A man stops next to a fighter jet and looks up.

The moment Kairos started talking to the other seniors, I turned around too.

We crossed a busy airfield.

Several helicopters lined up neatly. We will soon be heading to the negotiation venue on these. Since it was nominally a ‘hostage exchange and negotiation’, we could not take a fighter jet.

Of course, there are various weapons piled up inside the helicopter.

Some of the fuselages were carrying vehicles. Motorcycles and four-wheelers. These are the things the ‘Recovery-Human Team’ would use if I were to be kidnapped.

“Hilde.”

As I was looking at them, someone approached me.

“I left it. Three morphine capsules.”

It was Samuel and Yoon.

Badger’s best doctors will be waiting in the safe zone, Sector F.

The doctor handed me my military ID tag.

This is the first time I’ve worn a dog tag around my neck while on duty. Badgers rarely wear dog tags. They say they’re cumbersome.

After passing the promotion exam, they gave me something similar to a certificate of passing, but I’ve never seen a senior wearing this before.

But this time, I had to wear a military ID tag around my neck.

A small tracker was embedded in the dog tag. A morphine capsule that the doctor had attached dangled next to the dog tag.

“thank you.”

He smiled and received his military number.

As I was hanging it around my neck, Yoon suddenly held out the capsule.

A capsule containing poison gas as part of the operation.

“You must have already taken the detoxifying agent.”

“yes.”

“If you press it with your teeth, the poison gas will spread. Spit it out immediately after chewing. The antidote doesn’t completely nullify the poison. If you get caught, don’t chew it, just swallow it.”

“yes.”

I took the pill and popped it into my mouth.

Then he rolled the pill with his tongue and put it behind his molars.

A biochemical weapon to be used when kidnapped and your life is in danger.

Oh, and there was also a state-of-the-art tracker, like a tiny rice paper piece, attached to the side of my molar.

I tried practicing speaking after putting a lot of things in my mouth.

“A dry chocolate chip living in a dry chocolate chip country saw a moist chocolate chip living in a moist chocolate chip country and wanted to become a moist chocolate chip, so he went to a moist chocolate chip country.”

“Wow, your pronunciation is good.”

The doctor gave him a compliment.

As I smiled proudly, the hunter snorted.

Anyway, with this, all preparations are complete.

“Go and get on.”

As I was looking at the morphine, feeling the feel of the dog tag against my bare skin, other seniors approached me.

Hildebert – Human Retriever.

“Did you get some sleep yesterday~?”

Ricardo brushed past me as he loaded a magazine into his gun.

The man’s green eyes were long and curved.

“If possible, let’s try to avoid you from being dragged away at all~… .”

Carl Doug followed him.

“Did you bring all your communicators?”

The man’s blue eyes scanned my ears and clothes.

“You must have checked the charging status, right?”

Sophia stops in front of me, unlike Karl.

The senior suddenly handed me a chocolate bar.

When I raised my eyebrows with a puzzled smile, she explained absentmindedly.

“Because your expression isn’t good.”

I smiled awkwardly and accepted the chocolate.

“thank you.”

Sophia nodded silently and followed Karl to the helicopter.

I melted the chocolate on my tongue while looking at the fluttering short hair.

As the chocolate melted and disappeared, Ruta Eyer stopped in front of me.

The one who was the squad leader of the kidnapped squad.

One of the top ten Badgers.

For some unknown reason, the man in my rescue party looked at me with his pale blue eyes.

“Senior.”

I met his gaze and spoke softly.

“No matter what happens, we will bring back the kidnapped people.”

Ayer looked at me with an incomprehensible expression.

The man’s short brown hair swayed back and forth in the strong wind.

The sound of the wind half drowned out the words he had uttered.

“It’s not something you have to take responsibility for alone.”

…hmm?

“I’m sorry I shot you back then.”

what.

Why are you suddenly like this?

Did Yoon come and threaten you?

I looked at him with puzzled eyes. But as if he had said everything he wanted to say, Iyer turned around and strode towards the helicopter.

What is it…?

“Get your mind right.”

It was only after I got hit in the back by Asil that I came to my senses.

“You must have prepared everything, rookie.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the nickname I heard after such a long time.

And I smiled as I saw off the former police officer who was walking away waving his hand. He was a senior I was thankful for, who showed no resentment or hostility even though I didn’t go to him separately to explain things.

He was the last to board the helicopter.

I will be on a different helicopter than them.

After Asil disappeared from sight, I walked towards the helicopter I was supposed to board.

The helicopter at the very end.

As we entered, the people on board turned their heads.

Those who cover their bodies with black cloth like a hijab.

“The change of Count.”

I made eye contact with the man and smiled.

“It’s been a while.”

I squinted my eyes further, seeing the frowning eyebrows.

Then, he sat down next to the Count, greeting Ye-Hyeon and the seniors sitting across from him. He felt the man flinch, but he didn’t care.

The fuselage begins to shake shortly thereafter.

I’m going to go see Kyle for the first time in a long time.

***

The negotiating table was a plain.

Wherever you look, there is a horizon. So, it was a place where hostage exchange and negotiations would take place, a place that was difficult to ambush. It was an area that the badgers who would remain in the negotiation room had surveyed in advance.

A helicopter arrived over there.

Although I couldn’t see outside, I knew I had reached my destination by the sound of my compatriots.

There were many of my kind on earth.

Kyle was there too.

His mighty presence.

“I understand, but.”

As the helicopter began to descend, Yehyun broke the silence dryly.

“The best thing is for you not to be kidnapped in the first place. If the negotiations break down, we can withdraw everything and go back.”

“yes.”

I answered, ignoring the flinching change in the changeling.

“I am aware of it.”

The helicopter landed on the ground.

The vibration of the fuselage subsided and the rear lamp opened.

A cool breeze blew. Green grass swayed here and there on the ground where the lamp touched. Sunlight poured in, filling the view outside the core. Fresh green and blue sky. White clouds that were wider than they were high.

It’s a beautiful day.

As I walked down the ramp, I saw the horizon unfolding before my eyes.

Helicopters were landing one after another on the open plain.

On the other side of the column created by the helicopter, there is a line of people.

Compatriots.

Those who split off and are now enemies.

They stood in a line beyond the long lines drawn on both sides of the negotiation table. The aura they were emitting struck my senses painfully. Now that I remembered everything, I had no more hesitation, but my skin tingled when I encountered the hatred and murderous desire they were spewing out.

It feels like I’m back on the battlefield.

You said it was a negotiation table, right?

I looked at Kyle with a faint smile.

A man like a black lion.

Her curly black hair fluttered in the wind.

I could also see the figures next to the man. Those standing next to Kyle with their arms bound. They were wearing familiar special suits and were looking at the same place.

He said he was watching Ruta Air getting off from another helicopter.

I saw one of the crew give a small thumbs up.

There’s also Lee Ho-do.

I’m glad you look okay.

However, Jin Silver was nowhere to be seen.

Although he was not included in the negotiations. Still, he was still alive when I interrogated the warlock the other day… .

“To power position!”

Richard’s thunderous shout woke me up.

The seniors scattered.

I stood still and watched the seniors go to their seats. The Hildebert Human Repatriation Team will be closest to the negotiating table. So that they can respond immediately if an unusual situation arises.

Behind them, Richard Green’s squad, who will remain at the negotiating table, is lined up.

But Kyle didn’t even glance at the Badgers. He just stayed where he was, his gaze fixed on me.

I can’t even breathe properly because of the hatred you spew.

“Hilde.”

I turned my head to look at the golden eyes burning with endless anger.

The commander-in-chief was looking at me with his hands in his pockets.

His face was so pale.

Suddenly, I had an urge to comfort the child without caring about what others thought.

But there are times when you have to take risks.

I stopped next to Yehyun and smiled.

“Commander, I will definitely return.”

Yehyun nodded while looking at me with a pale face.

The voice that followed was unwavering and businesslike.

“let’s go.”

He walked straight towards Kyle.

“Go forward to the lined up badgers and hand me your sword.”

A changeling count wearing a black cloth followed him.

As we walked, the line of badgers split in half like the Red Sea, clearing our path.

We passed through that gap and headed toward the white square that marked the negotiation table. After reaching the lime line, we stopped and looked at Kyle and the hostages.

Kyle’s gold earrings jingle and reflect the sunlight.

Kyle looked at my sword with burning eyes.

I smiled faintly and took off the scabbard that was hanging on my waist.

“Please do it again.”

He smiled as he handed the sword over to Ye-Hyeon.

“I’ll come get it back right away this time.”

Ye-Hyeon’s face was strangely distorted, as if she was holding back tears.

But he accepted the sword I offered him obediently. He took it carefully with both hands, then naturally put the scabbard on his waist. As if he had done it often. As if he knew very well how to wear the scabbard comfortably for his height.

I turned my gaze away, looking at the sight with a smile.

To the Count of Change.

“Let’s go.”

It was the beginning of negotiations.